Bridge-gate.



D. H. COSHAM.

BRIDGE GATE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10. 1917.

Patented May 7,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET irfaFME/ BRIDGE-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May "7, 1918.

Application filed. October 10, 1917. Serial No. 195,749.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID H. CosHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Bridge-Gates, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to gates for drawbridges, and more particularly agate which is operated by the movable span of the bridge, the gate beingthus automatically closed when the span swings open, and returned toopen position when the span is closed.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient gatemechanism of the kind stated, and to this end. it consists in a novelcombination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described andclaimed.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin said drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the gate in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective, with parts broken away, showing thegate operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of said mechanism on the line 4.l of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective showing an alarm device;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a bearing, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fragment of the invention showing thesame applied to a bascule bridge.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a fragment of aswinging drawbridge span and 11 is the approach thereto, the latterhaving sidewalks 12 and street car tracks 13. At the end of theapproach, off to one side thereof, this being the side on which thetraffic approaches the bridge, is located a housing l-fl inclosing agate mechanism. If desired a gate mechanism may also be located on theother side of the approach.

From the housing 14: rises an upright post or standard 15 having in itsside which faces the bridge 10 a vertical slot in which is slidablymounted a bar 16 having lateral. guide ears 17 engaging the wall of thepost.

On the bridge 10 is mounted a double inclined abutment 18, which latter,when the bridge is closed, is engaged by the upper end of the bar 16,thereby preventing the latter from rising.

The post 15 is hollow and houses a cable 19, pulley 20 and a weight 21carried by the cable, the latter being connected to the slide bar 16 insuch a manner that said bar is made to rise When the abutment 18 leavesthe upper end of the bar as the bridge opens. Vvhen the bridge againswings closed the abutment depresses the slide bar as it mounts thesame. This movement of the slide bar is utilized for operating the gateto be presently described.

The lower end of the slide bar 16 is connected to a rocker arm 22carried by a shaft 23 mounted in the housing 14. Parallel to the shaft23 is a shaft 25 also inclosed in the housing, the two shafts beingsuitably journaled in the housing. On the shafts 23 and 25 are rockerarms 26 and 26 respec tively, which are connected by a rod 27, so thatthe two shafts rock in opposite direc tions through a quarter turn whenthe slide bar 16 is actuated. Fig. 6 illustrates one of the shaftbearings, the same having a removable upper half 29 and an attachingflange 29 The shafts 23 and 25 project from the housing '14, and theshaft 23 carries a verticaliy swinging two-bar gate 30, the outer end ofsaid shaft being supported in a bearing 31 on the outside of thehousing. The shaft 25 carries a single-bar gate 32. \Vhen the shafts 23and 25 are operated, the gates and 32 drop down in opposite directionsacross the highway and sidewalk, respectively, this action resultingwhen the slide bar 16 rises as the bridge 10 swings open. The gates arenormally in erectposition and they swing downward and come to horizontalposition when closed.

'With the hereinbefore described gate mechanism is also associated anaudible alarm device which is automatically sounded when the gates arelowered. This alarm device comprises the following parts:

Inside the post 15, near the top thereof, are mounted two spaced crossbars 33 carrying a crank shaft 3 1 from which a bell 35 is hung. One endof the crank shaft projects from one of the cross bars 33 and terminatesin a lateral bend 36 which is in the path of an abutment lug 37 on theslide bar 16, so that when the latter rises to let down the gates, thecrank shaft 34 is given a turn, swinging the bell upward, and when thelug clears the part 36, the shaft is released, permitting a sudden dropand oscillation of the bell, which is thus sounded.

When the bridge closes and the slide bar 16 descends, the lug 37 readilypasses the part 36 and does not jar the bell sufficiently to sound thesame.

The gate carries at its outer end an extension arm, 38 having an obtuselateral bend 39 at one end, and pivotally hung at the angle formed bysaid bend on a cross pin 40 carried by the gate bars near the outer endsthereof, the arm 38 being located between said bars. The arm 38 is inupright position between the side bars of the gate when the gate is up.y

In order that the arm 38 may swing for ward as the gate 30 begins tolower, and at the same time not touch the ground, the following means isprovided:

An inclined link bar 41 is connected at one end to the outer end of thebend 39, and at the other end to a pin 42 carried by a shelf 43 mountedon the wall of the housing 14. The link bar is longitudinally slotted at44 to take the pin 42, a slidingconnection being thus provided. Thisslotted portion 45 of the link extends laterally from the main portionof the link and it is normally in pendant position, with the pin at theupper end of the slot.

When the gate 31 begins to lower, it draws the extension bar 38 alongwith it, but as the bar 41 initially is not movable in the direction ofits length, the bar 38 swings upward, and when the gate is down itextends horizontally in alinement therewith from its outer end. Duringthis movement of the parts, the link bar 41 drops to and below thehorizontal, it swinging about the pin 42, and when the slotted portion45 of the link comes to horizontal position, the link is free to slideforward to follow the bar 38, the pin 42 riding in the slot 44.

The gate 30 carries a cover plate 46 for a signal lamp 47 mounted behinda Window in the housing 14. When the gate is up, this plate covers thelamp, and when the gate lowers, the lamp is uncovered and renderedvisible.

Fig. 7 shows the invention applied to a bascule bridge 49. A link 50connected to the slide bar 16 is substituted for the abutment 18, saidlink being connected to any convenient portion 51 of the bridge.

The extension bar or arm 38 of the gate does not lengthen out until itis swung down far enough to clear trolley wires or other overheadobstructions.

1. The combination with the movable span of a drawbridge, and theapproach thereto; of a vertically swinging gate 011 the ap proach, aslidable bar controlled by the span, a rock shaft carrying the gate, anda rocker arm on said shaft to which the slidable bar is connected.

2. The combination with the movable span of a drawbridge, and theapproach thereto,

of a vertically swinging gate on the approach, a slidable bar controlledby the;

span, a rock shaft carrying the gate, a

rocker arm on said shaft to which the slid able bar is connected, asecond vertically swinging gate operating in the opposite direction fromthe first mentioned gate, a rock shaft carrying the second mentionedgate, crank arms on both rock shafts, and a rod connecting said crankarms.

3. The combination with the movable span of a drawbridge, and theapproach thereto; of a vertically swinging gate on the approach, aslidable bar, an abutment on thespan engaging the bar when the span isclosed and holding the bar from sliding, means for sliding the bar whenthe abutment clears the bar as the span opens, a rock shaft carrying thegate, and a rocker arm on said shaft to which the slide bar isconnected. Y

4. A gate comprising a bar pivoted at one end to swing in a verticalplane, an extension bar pivoted at one end to the outer end of said gatebar, a link connected to the pivoted end of the extension bar andextending rearwardly therefrom for swinging the extension bar intoalinement with the gate bar when the latter lowers, the rear end of thelink having a downward bend provided with a longitudinal slot, and astationary pin seating in said slot.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DAVID H. COSHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. V

